The First-Year Experience

At any university, students generally consider their first year to be the most challenging. The new university student usually finds that college academic work is more extensive and advanced than that experienced in high school. In addition, students need to adjust to entirely new learning and social environments.

The University believes that first-year students' adjustment can be improved 1) by ensuring that each student understands the series of decisions and deadlines that must be faced during the year, 2) by providing a variety of living environments based on common academic or other interests which help create a small college environment on a large university campus, and 3) by providing a wide variety of student activities which allows students to pursue extracurricular interests and to make friends with students who have varied backgrounds and interests.

1) The Academic Year in Sequence

Summer OrientationóFor the first-year student, the academic year begins with a two-and-one-half day orientation period during the summer prior to their first semester at the University. During their stay, students live in a University residence hall, eat in a dining commons, and tour the campus' academic and residential buildings. Students also take the math and writing placement exams, and the results are used in determining appropriate math and writing course placement. Each student meets with an academic adviser, selects a schedule of appropriate courses, and preregisters for courses through the University's touch-tone telephone course selection system. In addition, students complete a housing preference form listing the residential areas they prefer. Students also learn about a wide range of academic, residential, and extracurricular options available to them at the University.

Summer MailingsóDuring late July and August, each student is mailed a fall course schedule, a housing assignment, and a bill which includes both tuition and fees. It is important that bill payment be made according to the strict deadlines issued by the Bursar's Office. Failure to do so will result in the loss of both the student's housing assignment and course registration. Many students commonly find that their initial course schedule is incomplete (they were not scheduled for all the courses they requested). There are a number of reasons why a student may not receive a complete schedule (time conflicts between courses, course oversubscribed, etc.). It is important for new students to understand that course registration is a two-step process. Step one is the initial processing by computer of the course requests students made through the touch-tone system, with the resulting computer course schedules mailed out in the summer. Step two occurs when students may add additional courses or drop courses they no longer wish to take.

Add/Drop PeriodóStudents may change their course schedules (adding and/or dropping courses) through a touch-tone telephone add/drop process similar to that used in preregistration. The add/drop period begins about a week before the semester begins, and continues through the first 14 calendar days of the semester. Students may telephone the registration system, as instructed in the summer mailing and revised schedule book, and drop or add courses. In some cases, students may be informed that a course is closed or that they need to make special arrangements to enroll in the course when they arrive on campus (if they call before the semester begins) or by contacting the department (after the semester begins).

Fall ArrivalóNew students are permitted to move into residence halls one day before other students. Various orientation activities take place over the two days preceding Registration Day (the day before classes start). Students may continue to add and drop courses (with no record), by using the telephone system, through the first 14 calendar days of the semester. They may find that they need to make individual arrangements for some courses at the departments, or to be placed on waiting lists to try to add some courses. Students should carefully evaluate their early course experience during the add/drop period and consider dropping courses which are significantly beyond their abilities. (It is recommended that students see an academic adviser before dropping a course.) Full-time students must continue to carry at least 12 credit hours. (Subject to certain restrictions and/or penalties, courses may be dropped after the add/drop period. This and other academic regulations are detailed in the publication Undergraduate Rights and Responsibilities, distributed to all students.)

Counseling WeekóDuring counseling week (see academic calendar) students will normally see their academic advisers, select their spring courses, and preregister for courses through the University's touch-tone telephone course selection system.

Final Exam PeriodóBecause of the large number of courses offered, the final exam schedule is not released until the middle of the semester. Students should be prepared to remain on campus through the last day of the final exam period. Travel reservations should not be made for an earlier date until the final exam schedule is released.

Winter SessionóA number of courses are offered in Intersession during the month of January. Students desiring to take an additional course during this period should contact the Division of Continuing Education. Participation in Intersession courses is entirely voluntary.

Spring SemesteróHaving "learned the ropes" during the fall semester, students will find the spring semester to be basically a repeat in terms of the sequence of academic activities (add/drop period, counseling week, and final exams). An abbreviated orientation program is offered by the New Students Program for students entering the University for the first time in the spring semester.

Summer SessionóCourses are offered during two summer sessions (see Academic Calendar) through the Division of Continuing Education.

2) Residential Living Options

The residential campus at Amherst not only provides first year students with the convenience of living on campus, but it also provides a number of living options which allow students to live together who share a common academic, cultural, or social interest. These living options are explained during summer orientation and students may choose to sign up for a particular living option within their desired residential area. Academic options include Residential First Year Programs (a set of required general education courses taught in the residence hall for students living in the same hall), Foreign Language Suites, Arts Programs, the Honors Residential Cluster, and the First-Year Engineering Program (see Residential Academic Programs for details). Other living options include the Multicultural Services Project, the Diversity Corridor, and the Fine Arts Music Corridor (see Housing for descriptions).

3) Extracurricular Activities

Participation in student activities provides opportunities to make new friends, to obtain practical experience, and to simply have fun. As a large institution, the University is able to provide over a hundred organized student activities within several general categories: intercollegiate and intramural sports (for men and women), student government and political action groups, student media (print, radio, and TV), student cooperatives and businesses, performing arts groups (theater, music, dance, film, literature, and the Minuteman Marching Band), cultural and religious organizations, and recreation organizations.